


A Day Out

by machka



Series: Schmoop Bingo - Love Story (Brookemann) [23]
Category: Real Person Fiction, Tulsa Gangstas
Genre: Community: schmoop_bingo, F/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-18
Updated: 2010-07-18
Packaged: 2017-10-20 03:51:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/208457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/machka/pseuds/machka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Water is life's mater and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.' - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi</p><p>Family fun at the water park.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Day Out

**Author's Note:**

> Co-authored by [cebhfhionnmabon](http://cebhfhionnmabon.livejournal.com/profile).
> 
> Written for the [schmoop_bingo](http://schmoop-bingo.livejournal.com/profile/) challenge, using the prompt "Amusement Park."
> 
> Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction. The events described therein are not intended to represent actual events. No libel or defamation is intended in posting said fictitious work.
> 
> In other words, it's not real, because we made it all up.

Brooke let out a sigh as she held out one of Ashlyn's shoes. She looked at her daughter and pushed her toward her bedroom. "Find both of your shoes... or we aren't going."

She stood up and picked up the bag that had an extra set of clothes for each of them and set it by the door, before heading back into the kitchen and started to pack them a lunch. She hummed along with the radio, wondering where Neal had gone to.

Neal came up the deck stairs from the yard, waving the dogs through the door ahead of him, his phone pressed to his ear. "Yeah, that's all we'd need, really... Einstein's still a little shit, but he respects the gate in the kitchen, so we've been leaving him in there when we're gone for the day...Sixx sleeps on his dog bed in our room, since he can't jump up on the couch or the bed anymore...yup...just let 'em out every four hours or so, and we fed 'em this morning, so just the evenin' meal at six...uh huh, still on the arthritis meds...I'll leave 'em on the kitchen table. Food's in the normal place...and remember to _measure_ the food, okay? Just because Einstein will eat everything you give him, don't mean that he _should,_ all right?...okay...thanks, Andy, you're amazing... Sure, you guys can bring Amos and Logan...if anything, he can play with Einstein all night, till we get back, and that way we'll all have tired dogs and tired kids, and maybe we'll all get some sleep tonight... Right...see you when we get home. Bye."

Neal grinned at Brooke and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Okay, the dogs are taken care of... Tell you what, swappin' keys with the 'Skibsons' was the smartest thing we ever did. Is the princess ready to go yet?"

Brooke shook her head, smiling. "You and your nicknames. And no, she is in her room, looking for her other shoe. How are they doing with Logan's hair cut phobia?"

Neal snorted softly. "Considerin' how shaggy each of those boys have been in their past, I don't know why they're so uptight about gettin' his hair cut, swear t'God...guess I'll go check on her quick..." Neal let himself through the baby gate and headed up to Ashlyn's room. "How's it going in here, Princess? You find what you're lookin' for yet?"

Ashlyn was shimmying out from under her bed, frowning. "No...it's gone. I look'ted all over, Daddy..." she pouted.

"Where did you find the first shoe, baby girl?" Neal asked gently. "Shoes come in twos, remember? Where do you think it might be?"

Ashlyn furrowed her eyebrow and thought back. "In Einstein's bed."

Neal let out a soft chuckle. "That's a pretty good guess, now that I think about it..." He sighed softly. "...All right, let's go look in his bed."

Ashlyn grinned. "Let's go! Is Mommy ready to go?" She bounced on her heels, anxious to get out the door - the fact that she was still missing her shoe completely evading her.

"Sweetie, your other shoe?" Neal murmured gently, giving her a patient smile.

Ashlyn pouted and crossed her arms across her chest. "Can't I wear my flip flops? Pleeeease, Daddy...?"

"We have a lot of walking to do today, sweetheart. Your little footsies will thank me for telling you 'no'," he replied, his voice still gentle, but firm. "Shall we check Einstein's bed for your shoe, or do you remember where you left it?"

Ashlyn slumped her shoulders down and sighed heavily. "No, don't 'member."

"Where did you find that shoe, Princess? Do you think Einstein may have taken it?" he murmured, laying his hand lightly on Ashlyn's head.

Ashlyn shrugged. "Mommy found it..."

"Do you remember where, love? We can't leave until we find it," Neal said, smoothing her hair.

Ashlyn stopped and grinned. "THE BATHROOM!" she said, and took off down the hallway.

Brooke saw Neal standing in the hallway, but no Ashlyn. "She find her shoes yet?"

"Apparently, we're checking the bathroom," Neal murmured with a slight shrug, wrapping an arm around Brooke's waist. "Did she try the whole 'flip-flop' angle on you, too?"

Brooke laughed softly and shook her head. "No, but I told her tennis shoes first. You ready for this?" she whispered, kissing him softly.

"...Yeah," he replied, not at all confidently, tightening his arm around her waist. "I have no clue how a daughter of mine ended up loving water so damn much..." he murmured into her ear, shaking his head slightly.

Brooke smiled and raised her eyebrow. "Well...you could always blame Andy for taking her out in the ocean every chance he got to steal her away."

Neal sighed heavily. "...He didn't want her to turn out like me."

Brooke cupped Neal's face gently. "You do just fine," she said, leaning up and kissing him gently.

Ashlyn ran back into the living room with her other shoe and saw her Mommy and Daddy kissing. "EWWWW!"

Neal smiled in spite of himself against Brooke's lips. "Yeah, yeah, yeah... Go ahead and put your shoes on, Ash. We need to hit the road running, baby girl."

Ashlyn stopped and looked at her Daddy. "Daddy, we are going in the car," she said matter-of-factly.

"Uh huh," Neal replied with a grin, leaning his head against Brooke's. "But think of all them horses under the hood - they gotta run somewhere, right?"

Ashlyn shook her head and sat down on the couch and pulled her shoes on. She bit her lip and attempted to tie them on her own.

Brooke bent down and quickly tied both of them for her, then looked up at Neal and smiled. "You want to take the stuff out to the car?"

Neal nodded with a smile and picked up the bags Brooke had packed, shuttling them outside.

Brooke looked around the room and smiled as she grabbed her purse and ushered Ashlyn outside to the car. "Get in your booster seat, sweetie," she called out as she looked at Neal walking toward her. "You have everything from the house?"

"The extra clothes, the cooler with the lunches and extra drinks..." Neal ticked the bags off on his fingers. "...Anything else?"

Brooke tipped her head to the side. "Tickets. They're on the dresser in the bedroom. You want to run in and get them, and I'll get Ashlyn into her seat?"

Neal grinned and shook his head. "Yeah, kind of need those, don't we..." He pressed a soft kiss to Brooke's cheek and headed back inside, grabbing the tickets from the dresser. He leaned down to pet Sixx's head gently, cupping the greying muzzle of the old Dane in his hand as he pressed a soft kiss to Sixx's head. "We'll be back later tonight, old man," he murmured quietly, staring into the clouded eyes still turned so trustingly toward him. "Be good for Uncle Andy, okay?" He gave Sixx one final kiss and turned away, setting the alarm and closing the locked door behind him.

Brooke made sure that Ashlyn had gotten the seatbelt in all the way before she kissed her daughter's nose. She shut the door and grinned as Neal walked out of the house. "Miss Independent back there was bound and determined that she could buckle herself in."

Neal smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Yep, that's my girl..." He brushed another soft kiss to Brooke's cheek and headed around to the driver's seat, starting the ignition and praying to several deities that Ashlyn was over the God-damned "Crazy Frog"...

Brooke leaned back, closing her eyes. She was feeling a bit under the weather, but didn't want to ruin their day out. She reached over and let her hand rest on Neal's thigh as he started their drive. She heard Ashlyn start to hum and the rustle from her fun bag as she pulled out her coloring book, and Brooke smiled softly.

  


\----------

  


"Okay, girls...where to first?" Neal asked, tightening his grip on Ashlyn's hand as she bounced, restless and eager, beside him.

Brooke grinned. "I think we should see what time the shows are, and plan around that."

"All right..." Neal accepted a map of the park from an unfortunate soul dressed as a giant walrus-in-a-sailor-suit and unfolded it, studying the showtime grid. "What time is it now?"

Brooke looked at her watch and smiled. "It is...almost noon, and the first show is at..." She glanced at the paper in Neal's hand. "...One, so we have time to walk around the park, and decide on what we want to do after the show is over."

"Sounds good to me... How 'bout you, Ash?" Neal asked the blip of perpetual energy by his side, disguised as a child.

Ashlyn grinned. "Yes, yes...can we get ice cream?"

Brooke groaned at the thought of ice cream. "You are going to turn into an ice cream cone..."

"But honey..." Neal put on his best mock-whine, winking slowly at Ashlyn with a grin. "Ice cream is a dairy food...and if you get it in a cone, that's _kind_ of like a grain...and if you add a fruit topping, and nuts..."

Brooke looked at Ashlyn's puppy-dog eyes, and then at Neal's, and smiled. "I suppose -- as long as you _promise_ to eat lunch later -- that we can have ice cream first."

"Yay!" Neal squealed, grinning at Ashlyn and clapping his hands like a little boy. He scanned the map quickly and steered them toward the nearest food service, looking for the ice cream vendor with an eagle eye.

Brooke smiled, watching as Ashlyn and Neal ordered cones to their liking, but she herself passed on it. She still wasn't feeling all that great, but pushed it to the back of her mind as she watched her husband and daughter mock-argue over what ice cream was the best.

"Nuh-uh - dark chocolate cinnamon swirl is the bestest of the best!" Neal declared with a firm nod and a wide grin, beeping Ashlyn's nose gently. "Case closed!" He glanced over at Brooke's empty hands and tilted his head slightly. "Honey, don't you want any?"

Brooke smiled as Ashlyn dug into her ice cream. She turned to Neal and shook her head. "No...just not feeling up to ice cream right now. Maybe later."

Neal frowned very slightly and settled in beside her, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders as he attacked his cone.

Brooke leaned into Neal and watched the people around them, spending time with their families. "So, should we go to the dolphin show or the Shamu show first?"

"...Dolphins, I think...the Shamu show, she'll want to sit up front and get wet, so let's save that for the hotter part of the day, okay?" Neal murmured softly into her ear. "And there's the sea lions, and the Sesame thing... She definitely won't be bored."

Brooke laughed softly. "Yeah, that sounds good. You think she'll be able to get you on the water ride?"

Neal took a slow, deep breath, closing his eyes a moment as he suppressed a shudder. It had been eight, almost nine years since he had first confronted his fear of water... "I dunno, love... I guess I'll cross that bridge when we get there." Ashlyn knew that Daddy didn't really like the water, but that didn't stop her - and her coconspirators, Uncles Andy and Joey - from trying to get him into it...

Brooke leaned into Neal more. "I promise, if I feel a little bit better by then, I'll take her on it."

Neal turned his head and kissed her hair softly. "Thank you, love," he whispered, closing his eyes again.

Brooke reached over and handed napkins to Ashlyn and Neal. "You're welcome," she whispered, leaning in and kissing Neal softly.

Neal finished off his cone and smiled down gently at Ashlyn, who had scooted closer and was leaning against his other side. "Almost done, sweetie? Would you like to see the dolphins?"

Ashlyn handed her cone over to her Daddy and smiled enthusiastically. "Yes!"

Neal smiled, and got to his feet to throw out the trash, turning back to his lovely ladies. "Okay, beautifuls - let's go!"

Ashlyn held her arms up to her Daddy when he walked back over. "Will you carry me, Daddy? Pleeeeease?"

Brooke laughed softly and shook her head. She knew that Neal would give in...and Brooke was right, of course. With a smile, Neal knelt down and scooped Ashlyn up, propping her on his hip. "Okay, love," he murmured, kissing Brooke's hair softly. "Lead on."

Brooke looked down at the map and then pointed to the left. "Okay, this is the way that we need to go... Are we going to be up front, or more in the middle of the stands?"

"Think we can see better if we're closer..." Neal murmured, pressing his forehead to Ashlyn's as she looked up at him hopefully.

Brooke smiled as they walked into the stadium and found seats close to the floor, but up a bit, so that Ashlyn could see as best as she could. The smell of the salt water was starting to get to Brooke, and she pulled her bottle of water out of her purse and took a drink. She smiled when Ashlyn started yelling and pointing at the water as the dolphins and the trainers came out.

\----------

Brooke let out a breath as they walked out of the stadium, half-listening to Ashlyn ramble on about the dolphins and how she wanted to grow up and do that for the rest of her life. She glanced at Neal's nonplussed expression and smiled. "Blame Andy for her love of the ocean and everything in it," she teased. She looked down at her watch and sighed. "So. Lunch, and then Sesame Street?"

Neal stomach rumbled in response, and he threw Brooke a sheepish grin. "Sure, love, sounds perfect..." he murmured, scooping his little princess up once more, smiling at her excited chattering.

Brooke smiled back and headed toward the lockers. She pulled out their key and went to the desk, asking for their items. Their cooler was brought out and they headed for the picnic area. Brooke unpacked the food and passed it out, but looked at her sandwich and fruit salad just once and put them back, settling on a juice box instead.

Neal watched as Brooke set her food aside, frowning to himself. A little thought tickled at the back of his mind, but he pushed it away. Probably just a stomach bug, he told himself. Simplest explanation's always the best...

Brooke leaned against Neal as Ashlyn was talking a mile a minute about everything that she wanted to do. She leaned in and whispered into Neal's ear. "She'll be asleep after the Sesame Street show."

Neal nodded with a slight smile. "Better to make that th'last thing, then, huh? So she can sleep on th'way home?"

Brooke grinned. "Yeah...or the water ride last, so that she isn't soaking wet as we walk around."

"Sounds good..." Neal murmured, watching as Ashlyn's head snapped up at the mention of the water. "Oh, now you've done it, Momma..."

Brooke laughed and looked at the over-enthusiastic five-year old. "You eat all of your lunch, and you listen to Mommy and Daddy, and we'll see about the water ride before we leave, okay?"

Ashlyn nodded and turned to her Daddy. "You gonna go with me? Pleeeeeeeeease....?" she said as she took a bite of her apple slices.

Neal's face paled very slightly as he met his daughter's ever-hopeful eyes. "...I dunno, baby girl... That's... Your Momma said she might go with you..." He watched her face fall a little more with each phrase he uttered, and swallowed hard over the constriction in his chest and throat. "...We'll see, Princess, okay? We'll see."

Brooke squeezed Neal's thigh softly. She looked at Ashlyn. "Eat your sandwich too, sweetie." She leaned into Neal and covered up a yawn.

Neal wrapped his arms around Brooke's waist, tucking her against his body. "...Did you not sleep well last night, honey?" he asked softly, unable to keep the faintest hint of worry out of his voice. "...Ashlyn, your sandwich, baby..."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, I slept all night..." She let out a soft breath and watched Ashlyn eat and play with the stuffed dolphin that she had gotten at the souvenir shop.

Neal nuzzled Brooke's hair gently. "Maybe you both can sleep on th'way home," he murmured, squeezing her lightly, and smiled at Ashlyn tenderly. "Are you almost done with your lunch, Princess? Sesame Street, and Shamu, and the sea lions, are all waiting for us..."

Brooke nodded. That did sound like a really good idea. "And the penguins, and the aquarium too...can't forget them," she said, grinning at Ashlyn.

"Oh, yeah, definitely can't forget _them..._ " Neal agreed, watching his daughter's eyes light up.

Brooke gathered up the garbage and took it to the can before she wrapped up the rest of the food and put it back in the cooler. "I'm going to take this back to the locker. You want to wash her hands for me?"

"Sure," Neal said with a grin, hoisting Ashlyn onto his hip and heading for the family bathrooms nearby. "Do you want to see the penguins and sea lions first, or should we do Sesame Street first, Princess?" he asked her softly, turning on the water and boosting her up to the sink.

Ashlyn grinned as she started to wash her hands. "I wanna do it all!" she grinned up at him in the mirror. "And then I wanna do the water rides!"

"We'll try to squeeze as much in as we can, Princess Ashlyn," Neal murmured with a smile, meeting her eyes in the reflection, trying to hide his trepidation at the mention of the water rides.

Brooke waited for Neal and Ashlyn to come back out, sitting down when she started to feel queazy again. She hated that she was getting sick on their day out... She saw them walking toward her, and she pushed the feeling away, not wanting Neal to worry.

"You ready t'get movin'?" Neal asked Brooke, offering her his hand to help her stand.

Brooke smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Let's get this little munchkin to the Sesame Street show, and then, I think, Shamu...and if we're lucky she will be a-s-l-e-e-p and we won't have to do the you-know-what ride," she teased, as Ashlyn took their hands and walked in between them.

"I can only hope..." Neal muttered under his breath, squeezing his daughter's hand gently.

Brooke let Ashlyn and Neal lead the way to the next show and was relieved when they got into the arena that there wasn't any water to be seen -- and no salty fishy water to smell.

\----------

As they walked away from the sea lions, Ashyln saw the big sign for the 'Journey to Atlantis' ride, and she started to pull her Mommy and Daddy over to it. "Look! It's right there! Can we go? Please, Mommy? Please? Mommy?" she said excitedly.

Brooke looked at Neal and shook her head slightly. She was about to take a trip to the bathroom after smelling the fishy water from the sea lions. Her stomach was rolling horribly.

Neal couldn't help but notice Brooke's slightly green expression, and chewed at one of his lip rings nervously. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something definitely not right...

He looked down at his daughter and squeezed her hand gently. "I don't think Mommy's feeling all that well right now, Princess," he murmured. "Don't think she's gonna be able t'go on the ride with you."

Ashlyn's face fell, and her bottom lip slipped out and started to tremble slightly. "Will you take me on, Daddy? Please...?" she whispered.

...Oh God, that was just not fair...

Neal groaned mentally, swallowing past the tightness constricting his throat. There was no fuckin' way he could resist his daughter when she looked at him like that...

"...Let's go see how long the wait is, first, okay?" Neal stalled, and shot a quick, helpless glance at his wife.

Ashlyn sighed, her chin dropping down on her chest.

"I'm so sorry...I just I know that if I would try it would make me so sick," Brooke whispered to him.

"...No, it's all right, Brooklyn..." Neal whispered back, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I understand, believe me..." Giving her a quick peck on the cheek, he laid a hand gently on Ashlyn's hair. "C'mon, precious...let's go see what we're dealin' with, okay?"

Brooke smiled and saw the benches that over-looked the ride. "I'm going to go and sit down... maybe that will help," she whispered to Neal, nodding toward the benches.

"Okay, beloved..." he murmured, pressing another soft kiss to her cheek. As Brooke moved away, Neal crouched down to Ashlyn's level, brushing her reddish-blond hair out of her eyes. "Mommy's not feelin' well, little one..." he said softly, and glanced over at the line for the ride. "...The line's pretty short," he murmured to himself, and then looked back into Ashlyn's eyes. "Ash, honey...I'll go with you on this ride, okay? But we can only go once, because Mommy's not feelin' too good, and we should probably get back on the road home after this, okay?"

Ashlyn looked at her Daddy seriously, her blue eyes locked on to eyes that matched hers. "Okay...just one time, then we can go home," she said, nodding her head resolutely. "I'll hold your hand if you get scared," she said, smiling brightly.

"...I might take you up on that," Neal said softly. "Let me just drop my phone and stuff off with Mommy, so they don't get soaked..." He paused for a moment, fighting to breathe past the constriction in his throat. "...And then we'll get in line," he finished hoarsely. "Sound good?"

Ashlyn nodded enthusiastically. As they got closer, she saw her Mommy with her hand on her head. Ashlyn frowned.

Brooke heard the footsteps coming closer, and she looked up, smiling when she saw Neal walking over to her. "How's the line?"

"It's pretty short, and movin' fast," Neal murmured, pulling his phone, wallet and keys out of his pocket. "Would you mind holdin' on to these, so they don't get soaked?"

Brooke smiled softly and nodded. "Yep, will do." She put his things into her purse and looked at Neal. She could see the nerves in his posture. "It's a short ride...I'll be right here waiting for you two."

Neal swallowed thickly, his jaw working slightly. "...Yeah. I know..." He paused, and inhaled deeply, turning back to Ashlyn. "...Y'ready, Princess?"

Ashlyn nodded enthusiastically and pulled her Daddy toward the back of the line. She was jumping up and down slightly in excitement. "Ooo, I can't wait..." she giggled, and then blushed when a little boy ahead of them smiled at her. She hid her head in her Daddy's side.

Neal chuckled softly in spite of the butterflies in his stomach, and laid a light hand between Ashlyn's shoulders, smiling at the young boy reassuringly. "What's wrong, Princess?" he murmured, rubbing Ashlyn's back.

Ashlyn looked up at her Daddy and peeked back at the little boy who was still smiling at her. She hid her head again, and whispered, "Nothin'..."

"Okay, love," Neal murmured, stroking her hair softly with his other hand. He nodded slightly to the boy's parents and looked back down at Ashlyn, smiling tenderly. "Line's movin', Princess..."

Ashlyn bit her lip and turned around, still leaning back against her Daddy. She put her thumb in her mouth, something that she only did when she was nervous.

"You okay, Ash?" Neal asked softly, still rubbing her back.

The line moved forward until they were the next ones in line. She looked up at her Daddy and smiled and nodded. She smiled shyly at the little boy as he got onto the ride and then she quickly hid her head.

Neal took a deep breath to steady himself as the attendant gestured to them next. "Sweetheart, c'mon..." he whispered hoarsely, reaching down to take her hand. He wiped his free hand on his jeans, wishing to God that his palms didn't sweat so much when he was nervous...

Neal gave the attendant a tight smile as he helped Ashlyn into the car, directly behind the little boy from the queue. "Okay, honey, remember...keep your feet inside, and sit back in the seat..." Neal told Ashlyn quietly, his smile deepening despite his nerves as the little boy cast a coy glance over his shoulder at Ashlyn.

Ashlyn leaned into her Daddy's side as the little boy in front of them turned around and smiled. She smiled shyly at him again, and then looked up at her Daddy. "You hold my hand," she whispered.

"Okay, baby," Neal whispered back, slipping his hand into hers. "Is this gonna keep me from bein' scared?"

He could only hope it did...his heart rate was already starting to accelerate, just from the gentle swaying of their "boat" as the other cars were loaded. Beyond that arch ahead of them lay the real thing - the course of the ride, the free-moving water... He swallowed thickly over the lump that wedged itself in his throat, and took another deep breath, letting it out in a slow exhale.

Ashlyn looked up at her Daddy and smiled. "Yup...and to help me be as brave as you are."

Neal gave his daughter a startled smile, squeezing her hand lightly. "What's there for you be scared of, sweetheart?" he asked her. "You love the water."

Ashlyn blushed and motioned for her Daddy to lean down so she could whisper into his ear. "That boy keeps smiling at me."

"Oh...really?" Neal whispered back, slowly turning his head toward the young boy with a slight smile, teasing his daughter slightly. "I hadn't noticed."

Ashlyn nodded, her eyes wide. She glanced back at the boy just as the ride started to move. She looked at her Daddy. "Yay!"

Neal startled slightly, closing his eyes and swallowing hard as his stomach lurched. "Yay..." he echoed Ashlyn faintly, forcing his eyes open to look back at her. He mustered a faint, tremulous smile and squeezed her hand again.

\----------

Ashlyn was bouncing on her feet and laughing as she and her Daddy made their way off the boardwalk and back to where they had left Mommy sitting.

Brooke looked up and smiled as Neal and Ashlyn made their way over to her. "Well, I'd say that you both are sufficiently wet!" She looked at Neal and spoke softly. "You okay?"

Neal sank to the seat beside Brooke, swallowing almost audibly, nodding only slightly. He knew his face was pale, he could feel himself shaking, and he couldn't seem to catch his breath over the urge to throw up, but he pasted a brave smile on his face for the benefit of his daughter and took Brooke's hand. He knew he was squeezing it harder than he'd intended to, but...the fight-or-flight response was a difficult one to subdue.

Brooke reached into her bag and pulled out a small towel and handed to Ashlyn so that she could wrap it around her shoulders. She watched as her little girl smiled and waved shyly at a little boy and his parents walking by them, and the little boy waved back. She looked at Neal in query.

"In line ahead of us," Neal explained softly. "We ended up in th'same car...he kept lookin' back at Ash, and she was so embarrassed and shy...it was adorable. I think they were both tryin' to impress each other."

Brooke laughed softly and leaned her head on Neal's shoulder. She watched as Ashlyn yawned. "Well, I think that it's about time to head home... What do you think?"

"...Yeah," Neal whispered, his teeth chattering slightly as the adrenaline started to wear off. "...Be good t'get back out on th'road..."

Brooke nodded. While they had been on the ride, she had gone and got their things from the locker. She looked at Ashlyn, and could see that Ashlyn was about to fall asleep on her feet. "You want to carry her, and then when we get back to the car, I can change her, and you can do a strip tease in the parking lot?" she teased.

Neal chuckled under his breath and patted Brooke's knee. "C'mere, Princess..." he murmured to Ashlyn, putting out his arms to her.

By the time that they were out of the park and into the parking lot, Brooke glanced over at Neal and Ashlyn and chuckled softly. "She's out."

Neal nodded with a soft smile. "...I know...pretty much before we even passed the souvenir shop, really..." He'd felt her little body grow heavier in his arms, and her jaw go slack against his shoulder, and his grip on her had tightened, cradling her even more closely against him as her breaths had evened out. Oh yes, he knew.

Turning his head, he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to Ashlyn's hair, humming softly under his breath.

Brooke unlocked the door and turned to Neal, gently taking off Ashlyn's shoes. "I brought her PJs so that we can just tuck her into bed when we get home." She waited until Neal laid her down on the back seat before she handed him a towel. "You want to hold that up so that I can change her?"

With a smile, Neal obliged. His knees had finally stopped trembling, thank the Gods, and he thought he might _just_ be able to make it home without any embarrassing odors...

Brooke quickly and gently changed Ashlyn into her PJs, and then settled her in her booster seat and buckled her in before she turned to Neal. "You want to change into your dry clothes? I'll hold the towel for you..." she grinned, teasing him. She knew how much of a huge thing it was that he went on the water ride with Ashlyn, and she was incredibly proud that he had done it.

Neal grinned at her impishly. "You just wanna see me naked," he mock-grumbled, but handed her the towel as he kicked out of his ratty tennis shoes and peeled off his wet t-shirt. He raised an eyebrow at her as his fingers lingered on the button of his jeans. "...Where are my dry clothes?"

Brooke laughed softly. "In the bag, on the floor, behind you," she said as she held the towel up, shielding them from onlookers.

Neal turned and opened the bag, smiling tenderly when he saw the soft pair of sweatpants that Brooke had brought for him. "Perfect.." he murmured, and turned back around, draping the sweats across the top edge of the towel to have them handy.

A wicked smirk spread across his face as he undid the button on his jeans and slowly lowered his zipper, singing the tune to the stripper song under his breath.

Brooke laughed softly. "Save it for the bedroom, baby..." she teased.

"Oh, you'll get a special encore, beautiful lady..." Neal murmured with a wink, swinging his hips slightly from side to side as he wormed the wet, clingy jeans down past his hips.

Brooke smiled, her eyes bright with laughter. "Can't wait," she said softly as he pulled on the sweatpants. "Hope that I can get over this tiredness by the time we get home, then."

His eyes met hers solemnly, more than a bit of concern showing through as he settled the elastic at his waist. "...Yeah...are you feelin' okay, love?" he asked softly, reaching up to cradle her face in his hands. "Don't think I didn't notice...you felt like shit t'day, didn't you..."

Brooke let out a soft sigh and looked apologetically at Neal. "Yeah...just coming down with a virus, I think. A good night's sleep will help."

He studied her face with his head cocked, the vaguest sense of deja vu tickling at the back of his brain again.

...Naw, she would _know_ if she was...wouldn't she? Of course she would...

He shook his head slightly and leaned in to kiss her. "You can put the seat back and nap on th'way home, yourself..." he whispered against her lips. "Don't want you t'get sick on me, love..."

Brooke looked at Neal. She could tell that he was thinking something, but had shaken it off. "I don't want to get sick on you either," she said, smiling. "What were you thinking?"

He shrugged slightly, shaking his head again as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Just...th'last time you were all pukey and tired all th'time..." he started, and then paused, turning his head slowly to look pointedly at Ashlyn, still fast asleep in her seat.

Brooke frowned, and then followed Neal's eyes back, her gaze falling on Ashlyn. Her eyes widened as she looked back at Neal. "You don't think..."

"I dunno, love..." Neal whispered, leaning in to kiss her one more time. "Maybe we should make a little pit stop before we get all the way home."

Brooke swallowed, her head spinning at the thought. They hadn't talked about having any more kids -- not that she didn't want them...it just hadn't really come up. She glanced back at Ashlyn, remembering the joy that she had brought them when she was born, and she looked back at Neal. "Yeah... Would you be upset...?" she asked softly.

Neal pulled Brooke in gently for a hug, holding her close against him. "No, love, not at all," he whispered in her ear. "It would make our little family complete."

Brooke let out a breath and nodded against him. "A pit stop before home it is, then... " she said softly, a small smile gracing her face.


End file.
